The Red Deer Vipers have dreams of making their trip to the Hockey Alberta Junior B Provincials a more memorable one this year.
Last year, after winning the Heritage Junior B Hockey League title over the Cochrane Generals in triple overtime of Game 4, the Vipers struggled at provincials.
The Generals advanced to the final of that tournament, while Red Deer fluttered with a win and two losses.
This time around the Vipers head to the big dance as league champions once again, with a best-of-three league series win over the Coaldale Copperheads.
“I think we just have to keep playing like we’ve been playing. I know we can win. We just have to prove it to ourselves and go from there,” said forward Logan Linnell, who had a hat trick in the series-clinching game on Sunday.
Linnell is just one of several scoring threats the Vipers have up front that are returning from the experience at provincials last year.
Mack Differenz, Declan Johnston, Lane Sim, Connor Sullivan, Brody Kalinowski and Tristyn Zarubiak all played for Red Deer in the 2017 Provincials. Aidan Wilson, the team’s fourth-leading scoring missed the HJHL championship series but should be back Thursday.
The Vipers have a steady top defence tandem of returner Dalton Angeltvedt and Keegan Kingwell to anchor them on the backend. Branden Bilodeau is another solid presence for the Vipers in goal. He stopped 37 of 39 shots he faced in the league final and was the Red Deer netminder in their provincial trip last year.
They’ll kick off the championship in Fort St. John, B.C. on March 29, when they face off against the Calgary Royals. Red Deer will play the Peace River Navigators in game two March 30, then finish round robin play Saturday against the Beverly Warriors.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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